http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeCMs7rnZBM

Christmas shows were always my favorite because we featured children’s talent. In 1998, after all the children performed, we had a special guest star, gospel singer Yolanda Adams. Here she is singing “O Come All Ye Faithful.” If any of the children who performed on this show see this, please let us know where you are today. Enjoy…

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Yesterday’s tomato count was 6,681. I just went outside and picked 22 tomatoes for a new grand total of 6,703. And the winner of a $100 American Express gift card is… Marithia! She guessed exactly 6,700 (only three off from the total). Marithia has a little something extra to be thankful for today.

Marithia is the 8th Grade Transition Program Coordinator at her local Junior High School.  “My job  is to prepare our 8th graders for high school, by teaching them study skills, test taking skills, organization skills, and how to advocate for themselves!”

Congratulations, Marithia and thanks to everyone for playing.

In the summer I was picking up to 150 tomatoes a day and now that it’s cooler, I’m still picking every day, averaging around 20 a day. I do expect the total to reach over 7,000 before this plant expires. (for new visitors, I did NOT plant this cherry tomato plant. It just started growing in my back yard!)  Happy Thanksgiving to all and… easy on the pie!

You know I love my contests and here’s another one. Just guess the total number of cherry tomatoes I will have picked off my monster plant by Thanksgiving morning and win a $100 American Express gift card. At 10 am Thanksgiving morning, I will pick whatever ripe tomatoes I find and add them to the running total. I’ll post the winner right after that. Whoever guesses the closest TOTAL number of tomatoes from day one (over or under) will win. How about that? A hundred smackeroos just in time for holiday shopping! Good luck!

One guess per person.

Winner will be revealed Thanksgiving morning, before you’re all asleep from eating too much turkey. 🙂

July 11th – 150 tomatoes

July 17th – 459

July 24th – 785

July 29th – 1,014

Aug. 4th – 1,415

Aug. 8th – 1,646

Aug. 10th – 1,721

Aug. 11th – 1,861

Aug. 12th – 1,925

Aug. 13th – 2,002

Aug. 14th – 2,078 (this —> picture was taken today)

Aug. 15th – 2,201

Aug. 16th – 2,352

Aug. 17th – 2,454

Aug. 18th – 2,599

Aug. 19th – 2,735

Aug. 20th – 2,855

Aug. 21st – 2,932

Aug. 22nd – 3,077

Aug. 23rd – 3,178

Aug. 26th – 3,218

Aug. 27th – 3,251

Aug. 28th – 3,286

Aug. 29th – 3,360

Aug. 31st – 3,402

Sept. 2nd – 3,439

Sept. 3rd – 3,462

Sept. 4th – 3,511

Sept. 5th – 3,576

Sept. 6th – 3,612

Sept. 7th – 3,664

Sept. 8th – 3,710

Sept. 9th – 3,795

Sept. 10th – 3,850

Sept. 11th – 3,902

Sept. 12th – 3,936

Sept. 13th – 4,007!!! OMG!!! – over 4,000 – heading for 5,000!!

Sept. 14th – 4,050

Sept. 15th – 4,086

Sept. 16th – 4,114

Sept. 17 – 4,146

Sept. 18 – 4,171

Sept. 19 – 4,189

Sept. 20 – 4,207

Sept. 21 – 4,219

Sept. 22 – 4,232

Sept. 23 – 4,260

Sept. 24 – 4,282

Sept. 25 – 4,300

Sept. 26 – 4,321

Sept. 27 – 4,352

Sept. 28 – 4,392

Sept. 29 – 4,429

Sept. 30 – 4,502

Oct. 1 – 4,529

Oct. 2 – 4,569

Oct. 3 – 4,628

Oct. 4 – 4,664

Oct. 5 – 4,701

Oct. 6 – 4,776

Oct. 7 – 4,828

Oct. 8 – 4,914

Oct. 9 – 4,980

Oct. 10 – 5,000

Oct. 11 – 5,082

Oct. 12 – 5,153

Oct. 13 – 5,202

Oct. 14 – 5,230

Oct. 15 – 5,281

Oct. 16 – 5,347

Oct. 17 – 5,366

Oct. 18 – 5,492

Oct. 20 – 5,538

Oct. 21 – 5,569

Oct. 22 – 5,618

Oct. 23 – 5,648

Oct. 24 – 5,691

Ot. 25 – 5,741

Oct. 26 – 5,791

Oct. 27 – 5,843

Oct. 28 – 5,874

Oct. 29 – 5,907

Oct. 30 – 5,945

Oct. 31 – 6,007

Nov, 2 – 6,041

Nov. 4 – 6,145

Nov. 6 – 6,243

Nov. 7 – 6,342

Nov. 8 – No more updates due to upcoming contest

Nov. 22 – (Thanksgiving Day) 6,703

Nov. 27 – 6,845

Nov. 30 – 6,929

Dec. 2 – 6,970

Dec. 4 – 7,008

Dec. 6 – 7,029

Dec. 9 – 7,061

Dec. 12 – 7,117

Dec. 15 – 7,135

Dec. 19 – 7,185

Dec. 21 – 7,224

Dec. 27 – 7,264

Jan. 2 – 7,303

Jan. 7 – 7,338

Jan. 9 – 7,379

Jan. 13 – 8,121! (FINAL) That’s all she wrote!!!

This picture was taken Sept. 6th

I’ve seen photos of some of the damage and it’s unbelievable.

Is everyone okay?

It finally happened! I just picked my 5,000th tomato!  And the plant is still going strong! I’m either in the kitchen or outside picking tomatoes. The gardener just said it could go until Christmas. If so, then I know what I want for Christmas… I want my life back! …and a sweater for my bunny.

Andy Williams has passed away at age 84. When I was working as a standup comic, I was lucky to open for him at Harrah’s in Reno in 1987. It was just after my Star Search win and I couldn’t believe I was sharing the stage with the man who sang Moon River. He welcomed me on opening night and I truly enjoyed listening backstage during every show to hear that beautiful, mellow voice. Rest in peace, Andy.

I shouldn’t have to live in fear, but I do. I shouldn’t have to sneak up on my slippers, but I do. It’s spider season and none of us is safe. I’d rather find a snake in the house than a spider. What about a bat? A bat wouldn’t scare me as much as a spider. Why, you ask?  Because spiders are sneaky little arachnids. They hide in the worst possible places, hunting for food, always at night. Pesticides don’t kill them because they don’t breathe. They play dead – I hate that. I’ve passed by a curled up dead one thinking I’d sweep it up later, and later…. it’s gone!!! But where? And here’s a piece of information I wish I didn’t know: You are never more than twelve feet away from a spider. I did not need to know that.

So I live in fear, sneaking up on my slippers, looking behind cushions, under the toaster… But where is the worst place to find a spider? I say on your white sheets while you’re in them.

Anyone?